ILB/OLB? Jonathan Brown, Illinois -- There are few better tacklers in all of college football than Jonathan Brown. Brown plays the angles extremely well in a thankless role for the Fighting Illini, often blowing up holes in the OL to allow other players to swoop in and shut down the run. Brown himself is an excellent tackler that never misses when he makes a go at a ballcarrier. However, Brown's biggest foible is that he is ridiculously slow -- he ran a 5.0 at the Combine, and with a non-elite physique (6'0", 238), that's going to drop him out of the Draft altogether, and may even compromise some team taking in UDFA. There are certain slower-than-molasses linebackers who have had success at the next level, Brandon Spikes being one of them. And Brown's instincts are great, but unlike Spikes, who at least has some degree of quickness in space, Brown just looks like he's running in sand all game compared to the better college programs he faced, and definitely will look like that at the NFL. It's a shame, because Brown is so sharp between the ears -- maybe a DC who loves him in training camp can figure out a way to make that work. Until then, he may only be a pure 3-4 ILB in the NFL, if he even makes a roster.

DT Kelcy Quarles, South Carolina -- I have liked Quarles all season because of the stats I've casually seen him accumulate and because of how much time he spends in opponents backfields when you watch the Gamecocks play. But after watching Quarles on tape closely, I am of the belief that Quarles is going to bust hard in the NFL. Quarles is a one-dimensional player that probably won't even be able to succeed in that one dimension at the next level: Quarles' claim to fame is his ability to rack up tons of TFLs and sacks. The problem with that is that this is all he's done at an NFL rate at his position. He definitely doesn't play the run well, and even with his long arms he gets blown off the ball a lot against higher-caliber opponents. Like, a lot a lot. His bread and butter, then, will have to be shooting gaps as a good-sized three-tech (6'4", 297), but his get-off at the Combine was measured in the 1.8s, which is just atrocious. I think Quarles is not a starter caliber DL like most people do, and I think he's going to drop farther in the draft than most people anticipate.

CB?/S Jamea Thomas, Georgia Tech-- Jamea Thomas is a smaller, less faster version of Eric Berry. It's pretty fascinating to watch. There wasn't a single role Thomas wasn't asked to play for the Yellow Jackets, and his play is exactly like how the Chiefs have treated Berry's swiss army knife skillset. Thomas has played single-high, he's played in the box, he's played on receivers out wide, he's played the slot, he's blitzed, he's played press man, he's played off man, he's played zone. There's almost nothing new Thomas will have to learn at the NFL. But he's going to have to learn how to play one of these things very well. So where does he best fit, since he does all of these things well? Well, he's a short-but-strong 5'9", 190 lbs, with 4.5 speed and slightly-less-than-average get-off. He is an excellent tackler, strong (but not great) in man coverage, and strong (but not great) playing the deep zone. My guess is that even though his college tape looks like a poor man's Berry, he projects to be a poor man's Flowers. He'd be an intriguing zone corner, particularly in the Cover 2. At the very least, teams will love his versatility, and will definitely give him a chance to prove his worth as a FS. He'll most likely end up a solid NCB in the NFL.

WR Donte Moncrief, Ole Miss -- Moncrief is a sneaky-great prospect and is one of the reasons why the WR is so stacked this year at the top. You're talking about a guy who is 6'2", 220 lbs, and runs at a 4.40 clip with outstanding get off. That alone is intriguing -- now try adding in his ability to find soft spots in zones, his ability to get in and out of breaks very quickly, and his enthusiasm for blocking in the run game. He looks great on the outside, he looks good in space making people miss, and he uses his body extremely well shielding off DBs from an incoming ball. Nearly every game this year he had chunks of yardage where he ripped off 25+ yardage, and with a great QB who can hit him in stride, the sky really is his limit. He reminds me a lot of Eric Decker but with better speed. I think he's a great fit for Kansas City, and I'd take him as soon as the 2nd round.

OLB Ronald Powell, Florida -- Powell is pretty much a pure OLB at the next level. His best fit is probably as a 3-4 OLB, though he's a little slight for that position at 6'3", 237 lbs -- he does seem to have room on his frame, however. Powell could potentially thrive as a 4-3 OLB, however, in the Von Miller role, due to his great motor and impressive speed (low 4.6 speed). Powell has so many of the traits you love in a rushbacker: he's relentless with a nasty streak, he is very fast off the edge, he tackles well, he has tremendous closing speed and lots of experience in the three-point stance should you ever wish to employ that. Powell needs to get dramatically stronger, however, as he disappears nearly any time an OL can square him up. His best plays against the best OLs he faced were only when he could sneak in past the OL. But when the OLs locked him in, he can't shake himself free. Another thing he'll need to work on is his pass coverage, something he rarely did but seems equipped for. He's a backup OLB on day one with starter upside, and could provide some "boom" potential if he gets stronger and lands in the right system.

OLB Derrell Johnson, Eastern Carolina -- Man I absolutely love this guy. I love watching him play and attack, attack, attack. It'll be easier to determine where he falls in the draft projections after the ECU Pro Day at the end of the month, particularly his 40-time and his arm length. But here's what the tape says: Johnson is a pure 3-4 OLB, currently listed at 6'1" and in the 250s. He's very fast, and uses that speed to enthusiastically play the run sideline-to-sideline, though he definitely struggles in space in coverage. His forte is rushing the LOS, and he is very powerful and explosive doing so. He seems to have NFL strength now, and when that power is uncoiled, even OL from big programs seemed overwhelmed by him. The Chiefs should definitely consider going for Johnson in the midrounds, as I think he has starter potential. His weaknesses (coverage, tackling, breaking down in space) are coachable, and I just think he's a hidden treasure in this draft.

WR Kevin Norwood, Alabama -- I like a lot of what Norwood has to offer as a 3rd option at the next level, potentially as a 2nd option if his route-running picks up. I'll air my biggest complaint about him first since I really only have one: Norwood isn't particularly quick. He will struggle in the NFL against most corners because he doesn't really get in and out of breaks terribly well. If that can somehow get cleaned up -- and I think that's more of a physical gift than it is a skill you learn -- then he could be starter material. As of now, I think he's more of a reserve who gets about 10 snaps a game, blocks against the run, and makes some plays against linebackers and safeties when there's a mismatch. He has really good speed when he gets a moment to build up steam, even though he's not particularly dynamic. He's a strong, physical 6'2" with good hands and a great ability to track the ball mid-air. He does have a nose for getting open against zones, but physical man coverage from a faster corner does tend to remove him from the game. I think Norwood plays with a lot of heart, but he's going to have to dramatically change his route-running to elongate his career in the NFL.

Boom.

I like your write up of Donte Moncrief better.

:thumb:

I do too.

There's probably about 50 players I would have taken over Gaines.

Gaines has a couple excellent tools to work with, but he is going to need a TON of work in the other aspects of his game, which are barren.

I think he can be a quality starter in 2 seasons. But with the Chiefs' Brandon Flowers situation, he could be asked to start in 1...